HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Bridgit Claire Mendler (born December 18, 1992) is an American singer and actress. In 2004, she began her career in the animated Indian film '' The Legend of Buddha'', later starring in the films '' Alice Upside Down'' (2007), '' The Clique'' (2008), '' Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel'' (2009) and '' Labor Pains'' (2009) as a teenager. In 2009, Mendler signed with Disney Channel and played Juliet van Heusen on ''
Wizards of Waverly Place ''Wizards of Waverly Place'' is an American fantasy teen sitcom created by Todd J. Greenwald that aired on Disney Channel for four seasons between October 2007 and January 2012. The series centers on Alex Russo (Selena Gomez), a teenage w ...
''. Following the positive reception to her character, she landed the role of Teddy Duncan on the Disney series ''
Good Luck Charlie ''Good Luck Charlie'' is an American sitcom that originally aired on Disney Channel from April 4, 2010, to February 16, 2014. The series' creators, Phil Baker and Drew Vaupen, wanted to create a program that would appeal to entire families, no ...
'', which ran from April 2010 to February 2014. Mendler also starred in the
Disney Channel Original Movie Many television films have been produced for Disney Channel, an American family-oriented basic cable channel and former premium television channel since its launch on April 18, 1983. Until October 1997, films were released under the banner na ...
'' Lemonade Mouth'' in 2011. Subsequently, Mendler portrayed Candace in the
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters ...
sitcom A sitcom, a Portmanteau, portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troup ...
''
Undateable ''Undateable'' is an American sitcom television series that aired on NBC from May 29, 2014, to January 29, 2016, and originally premiered as a mid-season replacement. The series was created by Adam Sztykiel, based on the book ''Undateable: 31 ...
'' (2015–2016) and Ashley Willerman in the musical television series ''
Nashville Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and t ...
'' (2017). Mendler was featured on two singles released from the soundtrack of ''Lemonade Mouth'', with both charting on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100. In 2012, Mendler released her debut studio album '' Hello My Name Is...''. It went on to peak at number 30 on the ''Billboard'' 200. The record spawned the
lead single A lead single (also known as a debut single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date. Release ...
" Ready or Not" (2012), which was
certified Certification is the provision by an independent body of written assurance (a certificate) that the product, service or system in question meets specific requirements. It is the formal attestation or confirmation of certain characteristics of a ...
Gold and Platinum in various countries. The follow-up single "
Hurricane A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depe ...
" (2013) did not achieve the same level of success but is still her second most popular single to date. Mendler released new music independently in 2016 and 2017. Mendler also has links with several philanthropic projects and humanitarian causes. From 2010 to 2012, she served as ambassador to
First Book First Book is a national, nonprofit social enterprise focusing on educational equity as a path out of poverty. The organization addresses barriers to education faced by children in low-income and historically excluded communities by providing brand ...
, a campaign to encourage reading and gives books to children in need, and ''Give with Target'', with
Target Corporation Target Corporation (doing business as Target and stylized in all lowercase since 2018) is an American big box department store chain headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the seventh largest retailer in the United States, and a compo ...
to raise funds to reform schools in the United States. Since 2017, she has been a student and researcher with the
MIT Media Lab The MIT Media Lab is a research laboratory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, growing out of MIT's Architecture Machine Group in the School of Architecture. Its research does not restrict to fixed academic disciplines, but draws from ...
. She is the recipient of various accolades, including a Radio Disney Music Award, and nominations for a
Young Artist Award The Young Artist Award (originally known as the Youth in Film Award) is an accolade presented by the Young Artist Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded in 1978 to honor excellence of youth performers, and to provide scholarships for young ...
, eight
World Music Awards The World Music Awards is an international award show founded in 1989 under the patronage of Albert II, Prince of Monaco and co-founder/executive producer John Martinotti. The event is based in Monte Carlo. Awards are presented to the world' ...
, and three
Shorty Awards The Shorty Awards (also known as “The Shortys”) honors the most innovative work globally in digital and social media by brands, agencies, nonprofits and creators. The Shortys’ mission is to celebrate, inspire and push the boundaries of exce ...
.


Early life

Mendler was born in Washington, D.C. She is the daughter of Sandra Ford-Mendler and Charles Mendler, and has a younger brother named Nicholas. She moved with her family to
Mill Valley, California Mill Valley is a city in Marin County, California, United States, located about north of San Francisco via the Golden Gate Bridge and from Napa Valley. The population was 14,231 at the 2020 census. Mill Valley is located on the western and ...
, at the age of eight. It was there where she first expressed interest in acting and began working in plays. When she was eight years old, Mendler began taking part in local roles in both dramatic and musical theatre, and became the youngest performer in the
San Francisco Fringe Festival The San Francisco Fringe Festival, or SF Fringe, is a fringe theater festival produced by the EXIT Theatre in San Francisco. It is one of the oldest fringe festivals in the United States. It takes place over the course of two weeks every Septembe ...
. When she was 11 years old, she hired an agent to help her get acting jobs. Mendler is the niece of psychologist Christine Blasey Ford.


Career


2004–2008: Career beginnings

In 2004, Mendler got her first acting role in the animated Indian film '' The Legend of Buddha'', in which she portrayed Lucy. When she was 13 years old, she got an acting role as a guest star on the soap opera '' General Hospital''. She portrayed the dream child of character
Lulu Spencer Lulu Spencer is a fictional character from ''General Hospital'', an American soap opera on the ABC network, portrayed by Emme Rylan. Previously, Lulu was portrayed by child actress, Tessa Allen from 2004 to 2005. The role was most notably portray ...
, in which the two have an argument on Mendler's character's birthday. The scene, lasting just under a minute, is later revealed to be a dream. That same year, Mendler was the voice of the character Thorn in the video game ''Bone: The Great Cow Race'', which was based on the Bone comic series. In 2007, Mendler made her film debut in the
film adaption A film adaptation is the transfer of a work or story, in whole or in part, to a feature film. Although often considered a type of derivative work, film adaptation has been conceptualized recently by academic scholars such as Robert Stam as a dial ...
of the ''Alice'' series, titled '' Alice Upside Down''. Mendler starred alongside Disney Channel actress
Alyson Stoner Alyson Rae Stoner (born August 11, 1993) is an American actress, singer, and dancer. Her film roles include '' Cheaper by the Dozen'' (2003), '' Cheaper by the Dozen 2'' (2005), and the ''Step Up'' franchise (2006–2014). Her television roles ...
and Lucas Grabeel. Mendler portrayed the antagonistic role of Pamela, who is the rival of Stoner's character, Alice. For the film's soundtrack, Mendler provided backing vocals on the song "Free Spirit", performed by Stoner. Also in 2007 Mendler auditioned for '' Sonny with a Chance'' for the role of Sonny Munroe, but
Demi Lovato Demetria Devonne Lovato ( ; born August 20, 1992), known as Demi Lovato, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. After appearing on the children's television series ''Barney & Friends'' (2002–2004), Lovato rose to prominence for pl ...
was chosen. In 2008, it was announced that Mendler would play the role of Kristen Gregory in the
film adaption A film adaptation is the transfer of a work or story, in whole or in part, to a feature film. Although often considered a type of derivative work, film adaptation has been conceptualized recently by academic scholars such as Robert Stam as a dial ...
of the popular teen novel series '' The Clique ''by Lisi Harrison. Mendler had the role of Kristen, a girl who attends OCD on a scholarship, and works hard to keep her good grades. She also had begun working on a film with actress and singer Lindsay Lohan titled '' Labor Pains'', which kept being pushed back due to various conflicts and problems. Though initially slated for a theatrical release, the film did not receive one in the US and was instead released as a TV film on
ABC Family The American cable and satellite television network that is now known as Freeform was originally launched as the CBN Satellite Service on April 29, 1977, and has gone through several different owners (and six different name changes) during its h ...
in 2009. The film did, however, receive a theatrical release in countries such as Russia, Romania, Spain, the United Arab Emirates, Ecuador, and Mexico. The film drew 2.1 million viewers, a better-than-average prime-time audience for ABC Family, and per the network, was the week's top cable film among coveted female demographic groups. She had a supporting role in the film '' Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel''.


2009–2012: Breakthrough with Disney

In 2009, Mendler became a recurring character in the Disney Channel series ''
Wizards of Waverly Place ''Wizards of Waverly Place'' is an American fantasy teen sitcom created by Todd J. Greenwald that aired on Disney Channel for four seasons between October 2007 and January 2012. The series centers on Alex Russo (Selena Gomez), a teenage w ...
''. Mendler portrayed the role of Juliet Van Heusen, a vampire who later forms a romance with David Henrie's character Justin Russo. This lasts till the series finale. Mendler would go on to appear in eleven episodes total for the series, spanning from 2009 to 2012 when the series ended. In 2010, Mendler became the star of the Disney Channel Original Series ''
Good Luck Charlie ''Good Luck Charlie'' is an American sitcom that originally aired on Disney Channel from April 4, 2010, to February 16, 2014. The series' creators, Phil Baker and Drew Vaupen, wanted to create a program that would appeal to entire families, no ...
'', centering on a teenage girl who makes videos for her baby sister to watch as she gets older. The series premiered on April 4, 2010, and was met with a positive critical reception and viewership. In the third season, Disney Channel announced that the series would feature a same-sex couple. This decision caused a protest from the conservative group " One Million Moms" asking Disney Channel not to air the episode. One of Disney's spokespersons told TV Guide the episode was "developed to be relevant to kids and families around the world and to reflect themes of diversity and inclusiveness." Disney aired the episode as planned. Other people including actors
Miley Cyrus Miley Ray Cyrus ( ; born Destiny Hope Cyrus on November 23, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her distinctive raspy voice, her music spans across varied styles and genres, including pop, country, rock, hip hop ...
and Evan Rachel Wood expressed their support. In 2011, she starred as Olivia White, the lead role in the
Disney Channel Original Movie Many television films have been produced for Disney Channel, an American family-oriented basic cable channel and former premium television channel since its launch on April 18, 1983. Until October 1997, films were released under the banner na ...
'' Lemonade Mouth'', watched by 5.7 million viewers on its premiere night. Mendler performed numerous songs for the film's soundtrack, which was released on April 12, 2011 by Walt Disney Records. The first single released from the soundtrack, titled "
Somebody Somebody may refer to: Music Albums * ''Somebody'', by Connie Dover, 1991 * ''Somebody'', by Philip Michael Thomas, 1988 Songs * "Somebody" (Aerosmith song), 1973 * "Somebody" (Bonnie McKee song), 2004 * "Somebody" (Bridgit Mendler song), 2 ...
", was released on March 4, and peaked at number 89 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart. The second single, "
Determinate In logic and philosophy (especially metaphysics), a property is a characteristic of an object; a red object is said to have the property of redness. The property may be considered a form of object in its own right, able to possess other propertie ...
", charted in numerous other countries and peaked at number 51 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. In an interview with Kidzworld Media, Mendler confirmed that there will not be a sequel to ''Lemonade Mouth'', commenting: "There’s not oing to be a sequel to ''Lemonade Mouth''unfortunately. We had such a great experience working on the movie, and they tried to figure something out for a sequel, but everyone at Disney felt like the movie had completed its story in the first movie. It was a great experience, and I loved working with the cast members and still see them frequently." In 2011, Mendler had the supporting role of Appoline in the straight to DVD film '' Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2''. Mendler recorded the song " This Is My Paradise" for the film, which was released as a promotional single on January 11, 2011, with a music video directed by Alex Zamm. On March 31, 2011, it was confirmed that Mendler had signed with
Hollywood Records Hollywood Records is an American record label of the Disney Music Group. The label focuses in pop, rock, alternative, hip hop, and country genres, as well as specializing in mature recordings not suitable for the flagship Walt Disney Record ...
, and had begun working on her debut album. Also in 2011 Mendler also starred the
Disney Channel Original Movie Many television films have been produced for Disney Channel, an American family-oriented basic cable channel and former premium television channel since its launch on April 18, 1983. Until October 1997, films were released under the banner na ...
'' Good Luck Charlie, It's Christmas!'', which premiered on December 2, 2011. The song " I'm Gonna Run to You" was co-written and performed by Mendler, and was also featured in the film and released as promotional single on November 12, 2011. Mendler later co-wrote and sang the '' Disney's Friends for Change Games'' anthem called "
We Can Change the World Disney's Friends for Change (also referred to as Friends for Change: Project Green) is a pro-social "green" initiative that started in the summer of 2009. History Disney stars stress environmental issues in the campaign, encouraging fans to take ...
", released as her third promotional single on June 11, 2011. In 2012, she guest-starred in the television series ''
House A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air ...
'' as Callie Rogers, a homeless runaway teenager with a mysterious illness. She voiced the lead role of Arrietty in the American English dub of '' The Secret World of Arrietty'', and she recorded a song, " Summertime," for the movie, which was released as a promotional single on February 2.


2012–2015: Musical debut and ''Undateable''

In Summer 2012, Mendler confirmed that the title of her official debut single was " Ready or Not", written by Mendler herself, Emanuel "Eman" Kiriakou and Evan "Kidd" Bogart. The song was released for digital download on August 7 and for radio airplay on August 21, 2012. "Ready or Not" peaked at 49 in the United States and 53 in Australia, but at number seven in the United Kingdom and within the top twenty of the charts in Belgium, the Republic of Ireland and New Zealand. The song received platinum certification in the United States and Canada and Gold in Denmark, New Zealand and Norway. Mendler ventured on her first headlining tour, Bridgit Mendler: Live in Concert, supporting her first studio album. The tour primarily reached only North America and she played at state fairs, music festivals and Jingle Ball's concerts series. Mendler's debut album, '' Hello My Name Is...'', was released on October 22 by
Hollywood Records Hollywood Records is an American record label of the Disney Music Group. The label focuses in pop, rock, alternative, hip hop, and country genres, as well as specializing in mature recordings not suitable for the flagship Walt Disney Record ...
and all the songs were written by Mendler with collaborators, included 12 tracks in standard version and 15 in deluxe edition. Mendler was also involved in its production. The album peaked at number 30 on the ''Billboard'' 200 and sold less than 200,000 copies in the country. Internationally "Hello My Name Is .." debuted in a few countries including Poland, Australia, United Kingdom, France and Spain. Mendler's vocals have been compared to
Lily Allen Lily Rose Beatrice Allen (born 2 May 1985) is an English singer-songwriter and actress. She is the daughter of actor Keith Allen and film producer Alison Owen. Her music career began in 2005 when she made some of her vocal recordings public ...
,
Cher Lloyd Cher Lloyd (born 28 July 1993) is an English singer. She finished fourth place in the seventh series of ''The X Factor'' in 2010. Following the seventh series finale, Lloyd was signed to Syco Music. Her debut single, " Swagger Jagger", was r ...
,
Jessie J Jessica Ellen Cornish (born 27 March 1988), known professionally as Jessie J, is an English singer. Born and raised in London, she began her career on stage, aged 11, with a role in the West End musical '' Whistle Down the Wind''. She studied ...
and Karmin. She released two promotional singles on the album: " Forgot to Laugh" and " Top of the World". On February 12, 2013, her second single, "
Hurricane A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depe ...
", was released for radio airplay. The song peaked at number 1 on the ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
''
Bubbling Under Hot 100 Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (also known as Bubbling Under the Hot 100) is a chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine in the United States. The chart lists the top songs that have not yet charted on the main ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Chart ...
in the United States. On April 2 Mendler released a remix single version and, on June 21, an EP remixed. Also in June Mendler debuted her second tour, the Summer Tour, reaching only the United States. On April 30 she released the
extended play An extended play record, usually referred to as an EP, is a musical recording that contains more tracks than a single but fewer than an album or LP record.
'' Live in London'', by
Universal Music Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as just Universal Music) is a Dutch– American multinational music corporation under Dutch law. UMG's corporate headquarters are located in Hilversum, Netherlands and its ...
, recorded at a special performance in the United Kingdom. It on Mendler's
VEVO Vevo ( , an abbreviation for "Video Evolution", stylized as VEVO until 2013) is an American multinational video hosting service, best known for providing music videos to YouTube. The service is also available as an app on selected smart TVs, ...
On November 16, 2013 was premiered the music video for acoustic version of " Top of the World", directed by Matt Wyatt. She recorded it on her own, independent of
Hollywood Records Hollywood Records is an American record label of the Disney Music Group. The label focuses in pop, rock, alternative, hip hop, and country genres, as well as specializing in mature recordings not suitable for the flagship Walt Disney Record ...
, and filmed in
Griffith Park Griffith Park is a large municipal park at the eastern end of the Santa Monica Mountains, in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. The park includes popular attractions such as the Los Angeles Zoo, the Autry Museum of the A ...
, in
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the wor ...
. On June 28, 2014, Mendler began the second leg of her Summer Tour, in
Charlottetown Charlottetown is the capital and largest city of the Canadian province of Prince Edward Island, and the county seat of Queens County. Named after Queen Charlotte, Charlottetown was an unincorporated town until it was incorporated as a city i ...
, Prince Edward Island, Canada. On that date, she sang one of her new songs, "Fly to You", about a relationship that was said to be on the rocks but worth fighting for. On July 5, she performed another new song, "Deeper Shade Of Us", with disco influences. On November 25, 2014, Mendler was announced as a member of the main cast of the
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters ...
comedy series ''
Undateable ''Undateable'' is an American sitcom television series that aired on NBC from May 29, 2014, to January 29, 2016, and originally premiered as a mid-season replacement. The series was created by Adam Sztykiel, based on the book ''Undateable: 31 ...
'' in season two. She portrays the character Candace, an unlucky and undefeatably optimistic waitress, who becomes part of the main group. During the season, Candace and Justin, played by Brent Morin, were dating. After initial reports, it was confirmed on July 2, 2015, that Mendler left
Hollywood Records Hollywood Records is an American record label of the Disney Music Group. The label focuses in pop, rock, alternative, hip hop, and country genres, as well as specializing in mature recordings not suitable for the flagship Walt Disney Record ...
earlier in the year. In early 2015, NBC renewed with Mendler for a third season that consisted entirely of live episodes, which premiered October 15 of that year. In the season Justin proposes to Candace during a
Backstreet Boys Backstreet Boys (often abbreviated as BSB) are an American vocal group consisting of Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, AJ McLean, and cousins Brian Littrell and Kevin Richardson. Lou Pearlman formed the group in 1993 in Orlando, Florida. The ...
show and she accepts. On November 13, 2015, minutes before air time, a decision was made to pre-empt the then-upcoming live program due to the
November 2015 Paris attacks The November 2015 Paris attacks () were a series of coordinated Islamist terrorist attacks that took place on Friday, 13 November 2015 in Paris, France, and the city's northern suburb, Saint-Denis. Beginning at 9:15p.m., three suicide bomber ...
. The next week, the live episode references were made about the attack as a tribute. Following the third season, it was announced that NBC had cancelled continuation of the series.


2016–present: Current work

In 2016, Mendler began working on new music. Mendler discussed some of the producers and songwriters she was working with, including Mitch Allan, Dan Book, Alexei Misoul, Augie Ray, Beloryze, TMS, Ina Wroldsen, and
Steve Mac Steve McCutcheon (born 15 January 1972), known professionally as Steve Mac, is a British record producer, songwriter and musician. A multi-award-winning producer, he is one of the most prolific songwriters and record producers in modern Briti ...
. On August 4, 2016, Mendler announced the title of her new single, "
Atlantis Atlantis ( grc, Ἀτλαντὶς νῆσος, , island of Atlas) is a fictional island mentioned in an allegory on the hubris of nations in Plato's works ''Timaeus'' and ''Critias'', wherein it represents the antagonist naval power that bes ...
", featuring Kaiydo, which was released on August 26, 2016. The EP, ''
Nemesis In ancient Greek religion, Nemesis, also called Rhamnousia or Rhamnusia ( grc, Ῥαμνουσία, Rhamnousía, the goddess of Rhamnous), was the goddess who personifies retribution, a central concept in the Greek world view. Etymology The n ...
'', was released on November 18. In October 2016, Mendler was cast as Ashley Willerman on the fifth season of the CMT television series ''
Nashville Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and t ...
''. On February 3, 2017, Mendler announced her new single, " Temperamental Love" featuring Devontée. The music video was featured the YouTuber Jam in The Van. On February 10, Mendler was cast in lead role of the
Fox Foxes are small to medium-sized, omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull, upright, triangular ears, a pointed, slightly upturned snout, and a long bushy tail (or ''brush''). Twelv ...
comedy television pilot ''Thin Ice'', created by Elizabeth Meriwether, but the network ultimately passed on the pilot in May. On August 25, 2017, Mendler released a single titled " Diving" with American group RKCB. The official music video was released hours after the release of the song. She appeared in the
Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a ...
comedy film '' Father of the Year'' along with
David Spade David Wayne Spade (born July 22, 1964) is an American actor, stand-up comedian, television host, and writer. He was a cast member on ''Saturday Night Live'' in the 1990s, and he later began an acting career in both film and television. He also s ...
,
Joey Bragg Joey Franklin Bragg (born July 20, 1996) is an American actor and comedian. Career Bragg is known for his role as Freddie Raines in ''Call Your Mother'' and previous role as Joey Rooney in the Disney Channel sitcom ''Liv and Maddie'', which air ...
, Matt Shively and Jackie Sandler, which was released July 20, 2018. In November 2019, Mendler appeared in the eight-part Netflix comedy television series, '' Merry Happy Whatever'', along with
Dennis Quaid Dennis William Quaid (born April 9, 1954) is an American actor known for a wide variety of dramatic and comedic roles. First gaining widespread attention in the late 1970s, some of his notable credits include '' Breaking Away'' (1979), '' The ...
,
Ashley Tisdale Ashley Michelle Tisdale (born July 2, 1985) is an American actress and singer. During her childhood, she was featured in over 100 advertisements and had minor roles in television and theatre. She achieved mainstream success as Maddie Fitzpatr ...
, and her ''Undateable'' co-star Brent Morin.


Other ventures


Philanthropy

In 2010, Mendler became ambassador to
First Book First Book is a national, nonprofit social enterprise focusing on educational equity as a path out of poverty. The organization addresses barriers to education faced by children in low-income and historically excluded communities by providing brand ...
, a campaign to encourage reading and gives books to children in need. In 2011 it became part of Disney's Friends for Change, a pro-social "
green Green is the color between cyan and yellow on the visible spectrum. It is evoked by light which has a dominant wavelength of roughly 495570 Nanometre, nm. In subtractive color systems, used in painting and color printing, it is created by ...
" initiative of charity for environmental issues encouraging fans to take action. As campaign theme that year Mendler released a promotional single on June 11, "
We Can Change the World Disney's Friends for Change (also referred to as Friends for Change: Project Green) is a pro-social "green" initiative that started in the summer of 2009. History Disney stars stress environmental issues in the campaign, encouraging fans to take ...
", raising $250,000 for the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund. She also participated of the Disney's Friends for Change Games, an Olympic-based televised games aired on the Disney Channel, getting $125,000 donation to
UNICEF UNICEF (), originally called the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund in full, now officially United Nations Children's Fund, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid t ...
as Yellow Team captain and also competing for $100,000. But her team lost to the
World Wide Fund for Nature The World Wide Fund for Nature Inc. (WWF) is an international non-governmental organization founded in 1961 that works in the field of wilderness preservation and the reduction of human impact on the environment. It was formerly named the Wor ...
. In 2012 Mendler won the honorary award
Common Sense Media Common Sense Media (CSM) is an organization that reviews and provides ratings for media and technology with the goal of providing information on their suitability for children.
as ''Role Model of the Year'' for her work against bullying. Mendler was the third young artist to win the award, which usually honors environmentalists and scholars. She also attended the annual
UNICEF UNICEF (), originally called the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund in full, now officially United Nations Children's Fund, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid t ...
acoustic concert in
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...
to raise donations for charity in January 2013. In July 2012 Mendler became ambassador of the campaign ''Give With Target'' with
Target Corporation Target Corporation (doing business as Target and stylized in all lowercase since 2018) is an American big box department store chain headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the seventh largest retailer in the United States, and a compo ...
to raise funds to reform schools in the United States. The campaign aims to get $1 billion by 2015. To start the Target campaign, they invested $5 million and distributed $25,000 grants to 100 in-need schools for the school year. Mendler said about the incentive: “I’m excited to partner with Target on their Give With Target campaign and celebrate the start of a new school year with kids across the country. It's so important for all kids to have everything they need for a successful school year”. In August she got $5 million donated by
The Walt Disney Company The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Disney Stud ...
and more $2 million donated by people at
Facebook Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin ...
. She was featured in a March 2013 public campaign Delete Digital Drama with the Seventeen Magazine to end
cyberbullying Cyberbullying or cyberharassment is a form of bullying or harassment using electronic means. Cyberbullying and cyberharassment are also known as online bullying. It has become increasingly common, especially among teenagers, as the digital ...
. About the campaign she said "Being bullied is something I experienced in school and it is not fun...I love working to end cyberbullying. People don't have to push back as much as they would in real life. People need to realize bullying has just as much of an impact online because words are so cutting and difficult to deal with". She also worked with Acuvue being a mentor to help Katie, a winner of the 2013 ''Acuvue 1-Day Contest'', get closer to her dream of making a difference. On October 8 Mendler hosted the event We Day of Free The Children Foundation, a campaign that helps build schools for underprivileged children of Canadian and American cities. Also for Free The Children Foundation she was godmother of We Create a Change to help needy children. On November 16, 2013, Mendler participated of the World Challenge Marathon for Save the Children Foundation, a charity race to helps children with health problems. In March 2014, Mendler traveled to region of El Quiché, Guatemala to participate in the other project of
Save the Children The Save the Children Fund, commonly known as Save the Children, is an international non-governmental organization established in the United Kingdom in 1919 to improve the lives of children through better education, health care, and economic ...
that helps underprivileged children in developing countries. On April 8, she released the ''Baby Sit In'', that asks for teens to help give parents a break and give babies a healthy start to their life. Mendler said "It’s an easy way for kids to help little ones everywhere get a healthy start and an opportunity to learn just by doing something they do most weekends anyway". Mendler represented the institution during the charity congress ''Save the Children's annual Advocacy Summit'' in Washington, D.C. Carolyn Miles, the Save the Children's president, thanked Mendler publicly for humanitarian work: "We are thrilled to have Bridgit on board. Her passion for helping children truly came through when she met with families and kids during her visits to the remote communities in the deserts of California and Guatemala's western highlands".


Image and endorsements

Mendler was included on Billboard's "21 Under 21: Music's Hottest Minors" list in 2012. In 2013 she also appeared in the list of thirteen. She was also chosen as one of the ten hottest young female artists by '' Forbes Woman''. In 2012, Mendler was chosen as role model of the year by
Common Sense Media Common Sense Media (CSM) is an organization that reviews and provides ratings for media and technology with the goal of providing information on their suitability for children.
, a non-profit organization that honors innovative minds from the worlds of entertainment, public policy and technology and rewards mainly teachers, scientists and philanthropists. She was honored for her charity work in anti-bullying actions, improving the lives of families by providing a trustworthy role model and creating a positive impact in the world. Mendler was the second youngest artist to win the award, after Miranda Cosgrove. In 2012, Mendler signed with
Target Corporation Target Corporation (doing business as Target and stylized in all lowercase since 2018) is an American big box department store chain headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is the seventh largest retailer in the United States, and a compo ...
to release an exclusive line of clothing inspired by her character Teddy Duncan of
Good Luck Charlie ''Good Luck Charlie'' is an American sitcom that originally aired on Disney Channel from April 4, 2010, to February 16, 2014. The series' creators, Phil Baker and Drew Vaupen, wanted to create a program that would appeal to entire families, no ...
. The ''D-Signed by Teddy Duncan'' fashion collection includes clothing, accessories, hats, scarves, and souvenirs for girls in range from 4 to 18 years old. In March 2013, a Spring edition was also released. While promoting her debut single " Ready or Not", Mendler signed with The Hunt, a
mobile app A mobile application or app is a computer program or software application designed to run on a mobile device such as a phone, tablet, or watch. Mobile applications often stand in contrast to desktop applications which are designed to run on ...
which combines clothes and shows fashion tendencies. She released exclusively her music video and registered some personal clothes and fashion searches. She also had her own version in the games FanFUN FANfinity. While promoting her debut album ''Hello My Name Is...'', Mendler offered exclusive album promotions through Target. In 2014 she signed with the line of
dermatology Dermatology is the branch of medicine dealing with the skin.''Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary.'' Random House, Inc. 2001. Page 537. . It is a speciality with both medical and surgical aspects. A List of dermatologists, dermatologist ...
products Clean & Clear and recorded several commercials and campaigns for real beauty.


Personal life


Relationships

On March 27, 2012, Shane Harper said in an interview with ''Officially the Hottest'' that he was dating Mendler. Harper told the interviewer that they became friends early in ''
Good Luck Charlie ''Good Luck Charlie'' is an American sitcom that originally aired on Disney Channel from April 4, 2010, to February 16, 2014. The series' creators, Phil Baker and Drew Vaupen, wanted to create a program that would appeal to entire families, no ...
'' and began dating in May 2011. In an interview with ''
Cambio Cambio is the Spanish word for "change", and may refer to: ;Publications * ''Cambio'' (magazine), a Colombian political magazine *Cambio (newspaper), a Bolivian newspaper ;Entertainment and games * ''Cambio'' (band), a Filipino band *Perissone Ca ...
'' in September 2012, Mendler stated that it took two years between her meeting Harper and beginning to date him. To ''Classicalite'', Mendler talked about dating Harper, and said it took time for them to begin something, because she needed time to think. She said, "We knew each other for a while, were friends for a long time. I think everybody was very respectful about it and wanted to make sure that it wouldn't be weird." In November 2015, Mendler revealed that she had ended her relationship with Harper. In October 2019, Mendler announced via Instagram that she had married her long-term boyfriend Griffin Cleverly.


Education

Mendler has a degree in
anthropology Anthropology is the scientific study of humanity, concerned with human behavior, human biology, cultures, societies, and linguistics, in both the present and past, including past human species. Social anthropology studies patterns of be ...
from the
University of Southern California , mottoeng = "Let whoever earns the palm bear it" , religious_affiliation = Nonsectarian—historically Methodist , established = , accreditation = WSCUC , type = Private research university , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $8. ...
(USC) in Los Angeles, California. In 2012 Mendler joined USC's anthropology class. She decided to study art after two members of her band joined her at USC. In an interview with Brian Mansfield of ''
USA Today ''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virg ...
'', Mendler said: "My plan right now is just to do one class at a time and see how that goes. I'm just going to study something that will be interesting and doable from the road and just take care of my general education courses for now. I want to know something outside of what I do." In 2013, she chose anthropology and studied Medieval Visual Culture, and medical Anthropology. To the '' University Star'', Mendler said USC was important so that she doesn't have a formulaic career: "I think seeing that college life and what that would've been like, it does make you wonder what sort of lifestyle that would be, but I'm really grateful for what I have, and I think it's cool that, because my career path is not as formulaic, I can kind of decide when I want to take time off to do certain things." In 2016 she graduated as an anthropologist. Mendler has doctorate plans, inspired by her mother, doctor of
public policy Public policy is an institutionalized proposal or a decided set of elements like laws, regulations, guidelines, and actions to solve or address relevant and real-world problems, guided by a conception and often implemented by programs. Public ...
. In May 2017, Mendler was announced as one of the 2017 MIT Media Lab's Director's Fellows. In May 2018, she announced on Twitter that she started a graduate program at the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a Private university, private Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern t ...
(MIT) with a focus on improving social media: "As an entertainer, for years I struggled with social media because I felt like there was a more loving and human way to connect with fans." In January 2019, Mendler indicated that she was enrolled in a class at
Harvard Law School Harvard Law School (Harvard Law or HLS) is the law school of Harvard University, a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest continuously operating law school in the United States. Each class ...
. In 2020, she completed her graduate degree at MIT and began working on her Ph.D with MIT's Center for Constructive Communications and Social Machines group. As of 2022, she is concurrently enrolled in the law school program at Harvard University and Ph.D. program at MIT.


Artistry


Influences

Mendler has cited
Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...
as her biggest musical influence. To Ed Condran of
Hartford Courant The ''Hartford Courant'' is the largest daily newspaper in the U.S. state of Connecticut, and is considered to be the oldest continuously published newspaper in the United States. A morning newspaper serving most of the state north of New H ...
she said that: "You look at what Bob Dylan and artists like him have done and you just can't help but be blown away. I'm just glad I have the opportunity to start with this and I just want to take it as far as I can". In an interview with Disney Channel Netherlands, she revealed that her favorite song was " Don't Think Twice, It's All Right" from Dylan's 1963 album '' The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan''. To Taylor Trudon of ''Huffington Post'' she said: "He was the first musician I got into where I paid attention to songwriting. He has a way of writing songs that's really playful with lyrics, but at the same time he's saying something that people feel is important and that they relate to. He spoke for a whole generation.". Also to Trudon, Mendler cited
Etta James Jamesetta Hawkins (January 25, 1938 – January 20, 2012), known professionally as Etta James, was an American singer who performed in various genres, including gospel, blues, jazz, R&B, rock and roll, and soul. Starting her career in 1954, ...
,
Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...
,
B. B. King Riley B. King (September 16, 1925 – May 14, 2015), known professionally as B.B. King, was an American blues singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. He introduced a sophisticated style of soloing based on fluid string bending, shimm ...
,
Lily Allen Lily Rose Beatrice Allen (born 2 May 1985) is an English singer-songwriter and actress. She is the daughter of actor Keith Allen and film producer Alison Owen. Her music career began in 2005 when she made some of her vocal recordings public ...
,
Ella Fitzgerald Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April 25, 1917June 15, 1996) was an American jazz singer, sometimes referred to as the "First Lady of Song", "Queen of Jazz", and "Lady Ella". She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phrasing, timing, i ...
and
Billie Holiday Billie Holiday (born Eleanora Fagan; April 7, 1915 – July 17, 1959) was an American jazz and swing music singer. Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend and music partner, Lester Young, Holiday had an innovative influence on jazz music and pop s ...
, and talked about these artists: "I love that they have soul in their voices. I think that's something important". Other musical influences include
Elvis Costello Declan Patrick MacManus OBE (born 25 August 1954), known professionally as Elvis Costello, is an English singer-songwriter and record producer. He has won multiple awards in his career, including a Grammy Award in 2020, and has twice been nom ...
, The Delfonics,
Red Hot Chili Peppers Red Hot Chili Peppers are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1983, comprising vocalist Anthony Kiedis, bassist Flea, drummer Chad Smith, and guitarist John Frusciante. Their music incorporates elements of alternative rock, f ...
and
Van Morrison Sir George Ivan Morrison (born 31 August 1945), known professionally as Van Morrison, is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist whose recording career spans seven decades. He has won two Grammy Awards. As a teenager in ...
. During an interview with
Yahoo! Yahoo! (, styled yahoo''!'' in its logo) is an American web services provider. It is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California and operated by the namesake company Yahoo! Inc. (2017–present), Yahoo Inc., which is 90% owned by investment funds ma ...
, in 2012, Mendler also commented that her first female influence was the R&B girl group
Salt-N-Pepa Salt-N-Pepa (also stylized as Salt 'N' Pepa or Salt 'N Pepa) is an American hip-hop group formed in New York City in 1985, that comprised Salt (Cheryl James), Pepa (Sandra Denton), and DJ Spinderella (Deidra Roper). Their debut album, '' Hot ...
and sang an impromptu a cappella rendition of the song "
Shoop Shoop may refer to: *Shoop (surname) *Shoop Building, a historic office building in Racine, Wisconsin, U.S. *Shoop Site (36DA20), a prehistoric archaeological site in Pennsylvania, U.S. *''Shoop v. Hill'', a 2019 U.S. Supreme Court case Music * " ...
". She said hip hop band Fugees had great influence in her music training and also the recording of the debut album and song " Ready or Not", "One of the writers was like ‘Check out this Fugees song, ‘Ready or Not’. So we all listened to it and were like that would be kind of fun to do some sort of interpolation off of that song, which is what we did. I think it stands by itself as its own song but it still has that memorable quality of the Fugees song, which is fun. I think we were all really proud of it and hoping it will go far". For her debut album, '' Hello My Name Is...'', Mendler was inspired by
indie pop Indie pop (also typeset as indie-pop or indiepop) is a music genre and subculture that combines guitar pop with DIY ethic in opposition to the style and tone of mainstream pop music. It originated from British post-punk in the late 1970s and su ...
singers Ingrid Michaelson and Feist. Among the
pop music Pop music is a genre of popular music that originated in its modern form during the mid-1950s in the United States and the United Kingdom. The terms ''popular music'' and ''pop music'' are often used interchangeably, although the former describ ...
artists, she cited Maroon 5,
No Doubt No Doubt is an American rock band from Anaheim, California, formed in 1986. For most of their career, the band has consisted of vocalist Gwen Stefani, guitarist Tom Dumont, bassist Tony Kanal, and drummer Adrian Young. Since the mid-1990s, t ...
,
Destiny's Child Destiny's Child was an American girl group whose final line-up comprised Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams. The group began their musical career as Girl's Tyme, formed in 1990 in Houston, Texas. After years of limite ...
, Justin Timberlake, Beyoncé and
Bruno Mars Peter Gene Hernandez (born October 8, 1985), known professionally as Bruno Mars, is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is known for his stage performances, retro showmanship, and for performing in a wide range of musical ...
. She cited
Jamie Foxx Eric Marlon Bishop (born December 13, 1967), known professionally as Jamie Foxx, is an American actor, comedian, and singer. He became widely known for his portrayal of Ray Charles in the 2004 biographical film ''Ray'', for which he won the A ...
as a great model of how to have a career in acting and music. Mendler said that is influenced by British neo-soul and listed
Ellie Goulding Elena Jane Goulding ( ; born 30 December 1986) is an English singer and songwriter. Her career began when she met record producers Starsmith and Frankmusik, and she was later spotted by Jamie Lillywhite, who became her manager and A&R. After ...
,
Florence and the Machine Florence and the Machine (stylised as Florence + the Machine) are an English indie rock band that formed in London in 2007, consisting of lead vocalist Florence Welch, keyboardist Isabella Summers, guitarist Rob Ackroyd, harpist Tom Monger, an ...
, Marina Diamandis, and Lianne La Havas as her biggest British influences. She has mentioned
Natasha Bedingfield Natasha Anne Bedingfield (born 26 November 1981) is a British singer and songwriter. Bedingfield released her debut album, '' Unwritten'', in 2004, which contained primarily up-tempo pop songs and was influenced by R&B music. It enjoyed intern ...
,
Broken Bells Broken Bells is an American indie rock band composed of artist-producer Brian Burton (better known as Danger Mouse) and James Mercer, the lead vocalist and guitarist for the indie rock band The Shins. Broken Bells compose and create as a duo, ...
, Mark Ronson and
Amy Winehouse Amy Jade Winehouse (14 September 1983 – 23 July 2011) was an English singer and songwriter. She was known for her deep, expressive contralto vocals and her eclectic mix of musical genres, including soul, rhythm and blues and jazz. A m ...
. In 2013 Mendler revealed to have a big admiration for the
Adele Adele Laurie Blue Adkins (, ; born 5 May 1988), professionally known by the mononym Adele, is an English singer and songwriter. After graduating in arts from the BRIT School in 2006, Adele signed a reco ...
's musical style. To Disney Channel UK she said that "admire the career of Adele, because she has her own musical style. She does things her way and writes about things she is passionate about. It is really working out well for her". She was also influenced by Canadian artists Feist and
Tegan and Sara Tegan and Sara () are a Canadian indie pop duo formed in 1998 in Calgary, Alberta. The band is led by identical twin sisters Tegan Rain Quin and Sara Keirsten Quin (born September 19, 1980). Both musicians are songwriters and multi-instrumental ...
. To
Hartford Courant The ''Hartford Courant'' is the largest daily newspaper in the U.S. state of Connecticut, and is considered to be the oldest continuously published newspaper in the United States. A morning newspaper serving most of the state north of New H ...
she commented: "I've been a fan of Tegan and Sara's for awhile. They just do what they want to do. They don't follow trends". She covered the song " I Was a Fool" by the duo and released with the message: "I heard this song by Tegan and Sara a couple weeks ago and couldn't stop singing it, so I just had to do my own version". In 2014, she mentioned in an interview to CKQK-FM Canadian artists
Nelly Furtado Nelly Kim Furtado (; ; born December 2, 1978) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. Furtado has sold over 40 million records worldwide making her one of the most successful Canadian artists. She first gained fame with her trip hop-inspired de ...
, Joni Mitchell and European bands
Coldplay Coldplay are a British Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1997. They consist of vocalist and pianist Chris Martin, guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman, drummer Will Champion and creative director Phil Harvey (manager), Phil H ...
and Little Dragon as influences in composing her second album. In acting career, Mendler has cited some influences as
Jamie Foxx Eric Marlon Bishop (born December 13, 1967), known professionally as Jamie Foxx, is an American actor, comedian, and singer. He became widely known for his portrayal of Ray Charles in the 2004 biographical film ''Ray'', for which he won the A ...
,
Natalie Portman Natalie Portman (born Natalie Hershlag, he, נטע-לי הרשלג, ) is an Israeli-born American actress. She has had a prolific film career since her teenage years and has starred in various blockbusters and independent films, receiving mu ...
and
Rachel McAdams Rachel Anne McAdams (born November 17, 1978) is a Canadian actress. After graduating from a theatre degree program at York University in 2001, she worked in Canadian television and film productions, such as the drama film '' Perfect Pie'' (20 ...
. About McAdams she said that "She plays a variety of roles, she has a lot of charisma, and she doesn’t try to live her life in the public eye". She also admires the dedication of
Christian Bale Christian Charles Philip Bale (born 30 January 1974) is an English actor. Known for his versatility and physical transformations for his roles, he has been a leading man in films of several genres. He has received various accolades, includin ...
: "I could not live my life as committed to the craft as he does, with body transformations and such, he goes to such extremes but he is very admirable". Mendler also mentioned Lindsay Lohan as a great actress.


Lyrical themes and songwriting

Thematically, Guilherme Tintel of Portal It Pop has noted that Mendler wasn't immature as the first work of other
Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywoo ...
artists. Tintel compares her songs to
Jessie J Jessica Ellen Cornish (born 27 March 1988), known professionally as Jessie J, is an English singer. Born and raised in London, she began her career on stage, aged 11, with a role in the West End musical '' Whistle Down the Wind''. She studied ...
,
Katy Perry Katheryn Elizabeth Hudson (born October 25, 1984), known professionally as Katy Perry, is an American singer, songwriter, and television personality. Known for her influence on modern pop music and her campy style, she has been referred to ...
,
Natalia Kills Natalia Noemi "Teddy" Sinclair (née Cappuccini; born 15 August 1986), is an English singer, songwriter and actress. She has recorded music under various aliases, most famously as Natalia Kills and Verbalicious. She is currently the lead vocali ...
and
Taylor Swift Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Her discography spans multiple genres, and her vivid songwriting—often inspired by her personal life—has received critical praise and wide media coverage. Bo ...
. Mendler said that the writing process isn't hard, because she was influenced by her own experiences. Her debut single, " Ready or Not", talks about self-confidence and deal with boys. To Pop Dirt Mendler said: "I consider myself to be that girl sitting at the curb waiting for the world, so I think it’s a great message to send to just go for the things that you want to take charge of". Her debut album discussed relationships ("Rocks at My Window", "Top of the World", "Love Will Tell Us Where to Go", "The Fall Song" and "Hold On for Dear Love"), break-up (" 5:15"), alienation and romantic chaos ("Hurricane" and "Forgot to Laugh"), self-confidence ("Ready or Not"), self-esteem ("City Lights"), friendship ("We're Dancing"), money ("All I See Is Gold") and blonde girls ("Blonde"). To
Hartford Courant The ''Hartford Courant'' is the largest daily newspaper in the U.S. state of Connecticut, and is considered to be the oldest continuously published newspaper in the United States. A morning newspaper serving most of the state north of New H ...
she commented that writing is a compulsion. "It's also something I really enjoy. I like to create. It's part of being a recording artist. I love to write songs". Mendler also said she didn't want to make commercial songs, but timeless songs. "I want to make music that stands the test of time. You look at what
Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...
and artists like him have done and you just can't help but be blown away. I'm just glad I have the opportunity to start with this and I just want to take it as far as I can. I wanted variety and to just make things really interesting. This isn't just something that comes out of a machine. It came out of me. This isn't about product. I want to grow as an artist. I remember listening to certain recording artists and songs that had a really big impact on me".


Musical and voice style

Mendler's vocal range spans 3.4 octaves. She is a mezzo-soprano. She plays
guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected string ...
, keyboard, and
keytar The keytar is a lightweight synthesizer that is supported by a strap around the neck and shoulders, similar to the way a guitar is supported by a strap. Keytars allow players a greater range of movement onstage, compared to conventional keyboard ...
Sávio Alves of Febre Teen Magazine said that Mendler's voice was "strong and sweet". He calls Mendler's voice as having a "metallic tone" and this being "rare in young female singers". Her voice was compared to indie and blues artists. Her music is generally
pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop!, a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Albums * ''Pop'' (G ...
and reggae fusion and has features of R&B, funk, and hip hop soul. In an interview, she said she prefers to escape the traditional
pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop!, a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Albums * ''Pop'' (G ...
and
dance-pop Dance-pop is a popular music subgenre that originated in the late 1970s to early 1980s. It is generally uptempo music intended for nightclubs with the intention of being danceable but also suitable for contemporary hit radio. Developing from a ...
and adding other elements. "I have funky, R&B tendencies when I write by myself. I really love
doo-wop Doo-wop (also spelled doowop and doo wop) is a genre of rhythm and blues music that originated in African-American communities during the 1940s, mainly in the large cities of the United States, including New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Chica ...
and a
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a majo ...
y swing beat. Rhythm is a big emphasis in my own writing". Her voice and style has been compared to
Lily Allen Lily Rose Beatrice Allen (born 2 May 1985) is an English singer-songwriter and actress. She is the daughter of actor Keith Allen and film producer Alison Owen. Her music career began in 2005 when she made some of her vocal recordings public ...
. She has been compared to
Miley Cyrus Miley Ray Cyrus ( ; born Destiny Hope Cyrus on November 23, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her distinctive raspy voice, her music spans across varied styles and genres, including pop, country, rock, hip hop ...
, who also started on the Disney Channel, but in an interview to ''
Christian Post ''The Christian Post'' is an American non-denominational, conservative, evangelical Christian online newspaper. Based in Washington, D.C., it was founded in March 2004. News topics include the Church, ministries, missions, education, Christi ...
'' Mendler said: "I'm not Miley Cyrus. There may be some similarities but I'm my own person." In 2013, during an interview with the ''Huffington Post'', Mendler was compared to other young artists and asked if she would follow the footsteps in
pop music Pop music is a genre of popular music that originated in its modern form during the mid-1950s in the United States and the United Kingdom. The terms ''popular music'' and ''pop music'' are often used interchangeably, although the former describ ...
. Mendler said that "They've done so much and they're so talented. I think it's tricky because they've been obviously very successful, but I think you always want to be your own person and not be categorized by doing the same thing".


Filmography


Film


Television


Video games

* '' Bone: The Great Cow Race'' (2006), as Thorn (voice role)


Discography

;Studio albums * '' Hello My Name Is...'' (2012) ;Extended plays * ''Live in London'' (2013) * ''
Nemesis In ancient Greek religion, Nemesis, also called Rhamnousia or Rhamnusia ( grc, Ῥαμνουσία, Rhamnousía, the goddess of Rhamnous), was the goddess who personifies retribution, a central concept in the Greek world view. Etymology The n ...
'' (2016)


Concert tours

* Live in Concert (2012) * Summer Tour (2013–2014) * Nemesis Tour (2016–2017)


Awards and nominations


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Mendler, Bridgit 1992 births 21st-century American actresses 21st-century American singers 21st-century American women singers Actresses from Washington, D.C. American child actresses American child singers American women pop singers American sopranos American television actresses American voice actresses Hollywood Records artists Living people Singers from Washington, D.C. Singers with a three-octave vocal range Songwriters from Washington, D.C. University of Southern California alumni Walt Disney Records artists Massachusetts Institute of Technology fellows